A/N: I would love reviews!!! How do you guys like the version of My Favorite Things?
The days dragged on and it seemed that the children were depressed. In their depressed state they did understand the reason for not getting presents. They had not wanted to talk very much with Maria recently which was why she was surprised to see Gretl come and ask her to come into their room. Maria agreed and watched Gretl duck as the sound of thunder filled the air. Maria laughed as she watched the pouring rain outside the window. She picked up Gretl and took her into the children's room.
"Mother, we decided we want to hear your story. We have nothing else better to do." Kurt told her.
"Yeah Mother we want to know how you can still be happy on Christmas even without presents." Marta told her.
"Well I think you children have just been misinformed on the true meaning of Christmas." Maria stated simply.
"What do you mean Mother? It is Jesus' birthday. We all know that." Gretl told her. Maria shook her head and laughed.
"Yes most people do know it is His birthday. You know what happens at Christmas usually though?" Seven heads shook at her. "Most of the time the true meaning of Christmas gets hidden in the midst of things like presents, Santa, reindeer, Christmas trees…"
"Does it hide in the presents Mother?" Gretl asked listening intently. Maria laughed and gave Gretl a small hug.
"No darling it is not hidden in the presents, but it gets hidden in peoples hearts. Many times people forget that the reason we celebrate Christmas is not so we can get dozens of pretty things. Its not so we can stuff our faces with millions of pieces of fudge and sweets." Maria stopped surprised she had every child's full attention.
"Mother please don't stop, tell us the rest." Kurt said. Maria was even more taken aback by Kurt asking her to continue.
"Well it is quite simple really. The true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the day when the most wonderful person in this world was born." Maria told them.
"How are we supposed to celebrate that Mother?" Louisa asked.
"Well we are supposed to give as much as we can and try to live the same life that Jesus would. I found that even though I never received a physical present from anyone around me I have received many wonderful gifts just from giving." Maria stated.
"Mother we have nothing to give anyone though." Freidrich told her.
"Sure we do. We have many things. Some of the most precious gifts come from the heart. Christmas is a time to spread love to everyone, especially the ones who need it most." Maria told them warmly. The children were smiling happily at her.
"I like that idea, but what can we do to give?" Brigitta asked deep in thought. Maria giggled at her stare.
"You are thinking to hard. Usually the gifts are better the less elaborate they are. Have you children heard of the tale of the Drummer Boy?" Maria asked them. She received seven sad headshakes. "Well would you like me to tell you as a bedtime story?"
"Oh yes please!" cried Marta as the seven of them curled up in their beds.
"Alright. There was a young boy who was given a small drum by his parents. Soon after he received that gift his parents were killed. Some bandits took the boy away with nothing but his drum. Fortunately for him he was found by three wise man following a star. The star shown brightly over the fields and the little boy walked with the wise man to a town called Bethlehem. They made there way over to a small stable. In it there laid a small manger with a small baby in it. His parents stood looking at the child in wonder. The little drummer boy was told this baby was the ruler of heaven and Earth. The little boy had nothing to give the new king as the wise men did so he asked the baby's Mother if he would like to hear a song. Mary nodded and the boy began to play for the little baby named Jesus. The song filled everyone in the stable with joy. It had been the smallest most insignificant gift that had inspired them all." Maria sat there smiling at her children.
"Mother what happens to the little boy?" Marta asks.
"The story doesn't go that far Marta." Maria told her.
"Well I hope someone as nice as you adopts him and becomes his Mother." Louisa said smiling.
"I hope he found a home too. All right everyone that is enough story telling for one night. So are we ready to go to sleep?" Seven heads nodded. Maria shut out the lights. Just as the lights went off, thunder rang out outside.
"Mother?"
"Yes Gretl?"
"I'm scared." Gretl continued.
"Your still scared of thunderstorms are you?" Maria asked.
"Yes." Gretl replied.
"I am too." Marta added as Maria turned the lights back on.
"Well then should we think of nice things to make everyone feel better?" Maria asked. Seven eager shouts of "yes!" were heard in the room. Maria thought for a minute and decided to sing new words to the children's favorite song.
"Sleigh Bells ringing
And Reindeer Prancing
St. Nicolas Chuckling
And Small Children Laughing
Big Precious gifts tied up with ribbons and strings!
These are a few of my favorite Christmas Things.
Dark Chocolate goodies
And milk with cookies
Bright glowing candles
And silver tinsel, mistletoe and holly
Snowflakes that fall on the orange autumn leaves!
These are a few of my favorite Christmas Things.
Church Choirs singing
And silver bells dancing
The heavens rejoicingFor our newborn King
Bright stars that shine and guide through the night!
These are a few of my favorite Christmas Things.
When words bite
When the truth stings
When the spirit of Christmas is sad,
I simply remember my favorite Christmas Things,
And then I don't feel so bad!"
Maria sang the last notes as she danced around the room with the children. The children laughed and giggled and sang along with her again. They loved the new fresh Christmas words to their beloved song. The children continued to sing with Maria until the last verse. She began singing the last part with ecstasy in her voice.
"When words bite…when…" She trailed off as she found herself face to face with her husband. The look on his face was not happy. Maria did not note however that he had been standing there a few moments earlier laughing silently at the new words to the song. He made a mental note about the mistletoe and decided he should go and buy some. As he was pondering her words, Maria did not know whether to laugh or not at the dejevu of the situation. Her eyes became large and she began to back away as he put his hands on her shoulders. He leaned forward and kissed her long and deep.
"There I thank God that he gave me this same familiar situation again so I can handle it properly." Georg told her. Confused Maria and the children looked at him questionably. Georg took Maria in his arms and kissed her again. "There, that is what I should have done the first time this happened." Maria laughed and the children followed her lead.
"What do you want Georg?" Maria asked him. He smiled at her mischievously then spoke. "Well I was waiting for you in our room, but I soon realized you again were letting our children get excited and letting them stay up past their bed times." He told her mockingly. Soon he was smiling and laughing a little.
"You really are a terrible liar dear." Maria told him.
"And you think you are any better?" He asked her. They both laughed and Maria watched Gretl yawn. She knew the children were finally tired. Or at least the small ones were tired.
"Children I think you should all get some rest for tomorrow. There is only two more days until Christmas, you know, and tomorrow we will be going to church. It is Sunday after all." Georg told them.
"Oh do we have to?" Kurt asked.
"We were having so much fun!" Brigitta echoed.
"Children sleep would be good. Anyways I need to borrow your Mother for a little while. I think she needs to sing to me for a little bit." He told them beginning to kiss them goodnight. "I can't seem to sleep without you either." He whispered in Maria's ear as she tucked Gretl in. Maria smiled and rolled her eyes as she pulled the covers up on Gretl's bed.
Maria and Georg walked to their room together. Maria began to tell him everything she had told the children.
"The children want to do something for people as a gift they just don't know what to do." Maria told him.
"Yes well I am sure since they have the most wonderful Mother she will help them think of something." He told her pulling her closer to him. "I am so thankful that God gave me a second chance at you. There is nobody in the whole universe that is a more loving Mother than you, or a more loving wife."
"Thanks Georg, but that couldn't be true. There are many other people…"
"Like who?" Georg asked not believing anyone else could be better than his Maria.
"Well Mary, Agathe…" Her voice trailed off.
"Hmm…and how, may I ask, my love do you know they were better than you when you never even knew them? " He asked her.
"Because I have heard things…" She began.
"Maria, let me tell you, I knew one of them, and I am sure that Mary was very nice. No offense to either of them, but you are the most loving human being on this Earth. I am lucky to be your husband." He told her. Maria smiled tears forming in her eyes. Georg took her and kissed her passionately. They stayed in bed for a couple of hours until they heard a cry from one of their children. Maria quickly got up and got dressed. She ran out into the hallway to the door of Gretl's room.
She stopped abruptly when she gazed in and saw Liesl stroking her hair. Georg stopped and put his arm on Maria's shoulder. He gazed in to see what was happening. Liesl's eyes shown brightly and the touch of moonlight from the sky gave her an angel like look. As she stroked Gretl's long golden hair she began to softly sing a song.
"Silent Night, Holy Night all is calm, all is bright…" Liesl continued the song in English as her Mother and Father smiled down at her. Maria's eyes filled with tears and her heart became warm as she watched Liesl sing sweetly to her little sister. Georg hugged Maria and gently guided her back to their room.
"That's it Georg!" Maria cried happily.
"What?" Georg asked her, still grinning from the site he saw.
"We can hold a concert on Christmas for anyone who wants to hear us. We can ask for donations and donate them to the orphanage! We can even teach the children Silent Night and sing that carol last." Maria told him eagerly.
"That sounds good, but how do you expect to teach them how to sing Silent Night in two days?" Georg asked her.
"Well they can listen to it at church. Oh Georg wouldn't it be great if we sung it in German then sung a verse in English? It would be lovely and we could prove to people that even though these two countries are at war they are really so similar. The children would also get to learn a song that originated from Austria!" Maria beamed as she saw Georg break into a warm smile.
"See Maria I knew you would think of something." He told her as he pulled her back onto the bed and began to kiss her again.
***
"Oh Mother the church is beautiful!" Marta giggled in delight at the mass of the Cathedral. The other children were in awe at the site of vast stain glass windows with scenes from the bible on them.
"Yes it is. I am glad we arrived early so we could get a good look around." Maria told them. The church was truly beautiful. Christmas made it even more pretty. The church was lined with white candles. On the alter lay dozens of poinsettias. Then on one side of the church was a large manger scene complete with angels hanging from the rafters of the church. Georg was even impressed with the beauty of the cathedral.
"I have never seen anything this beautiful. Have you Georg?" She asked him. He looked up at her coming out of his deep thoughts.
"Well Notre Dame in France was amazing and so was St. Peters in Rome. This one is certainly ranks up there with beauty though." He told her. Then he bent down and whispered in her ear. "I have actually seen something more beautiful than this. The Cathedrals are lovely my dear, but none are as lovely as you are." Maria smiled and blushed a little. The family found an empty row to sit in at the front of the church. The choir started to sing and chills went down Maria's spine. She realized that this was one of the first times she and her family attended mass together. They had been to overcome with problems in Europe to go, as much as they wanted to. In America they were on the road and it was difficult to find a church, being in new cities everyday.
The mass ending and to Maria's great joy the final song was "Silent Night." The family walked outside the church into the snow-covered streets.
"I really liked church today Mother. Thanks for bringing us there." Louisa told her. Maria smiled.
"You very welcome Louisa. It was the least we could do." Maria said.
"I especially liked the choir there. They sang beautiful songs!" Gretl exclaimed.
"Yes, that reminds me. How would you children like to do a performance on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and ask for donations from people? We could donate them to the people less fortunate than us or to the orphanage. I know you children wanted to do something and this is one way." Maria told them.
"Oh yes Mother!" Liesl yelled and six other enthusiastic faces looked up at her.
"Can we learn that song they sung last Mother?" Marta asked innocently.
"Yeah the one about a silent night or something…" Kurt continued.
"The song is called "Silent Night", Kurt." Brigitta began. "I believe it was first sung in Oberndorf, Austria at St. Nicolas Church in 1818." Maria looked at Brigitta dumfounded by the child's knowledge.
"Yes that is correct it was originally sung in German in Austria." Maria told the children. Brigitta smile broadened. Maria stepped into the house. "I was thinking we could sing one verse in German, one in English and then hum the rest, what do you think?"
"I love the idea Mother!" Louisa told her. They all nodded.
"All right then let's not loose anytime then. We have a ton of Christmas songs to learn between now and tomorrow night!" Maria cried marching to get her guitar. Maria came back through the doorway and brushed against a green plant. She looked up at it confused and wondering what a plant was doing on the ceiling. Georg grinned.
"Oh look my dear you are standing under mistletoe!" He cried happily. She still stared at him blankly. "My love you have heard of what happens when you stand under mistletoe, have you not?" He asked her grinning as he thought of how naïve she was.
"Oh of course I have Georg." She told him, her gazed still fixed on the green plant.
"Well since we are both standing under it I need a kiss from my wife, it is tradition you know." He told her leaning towards her. Maria took one last look at the plant and then backed up with a grin on her face.
"Darling I am sorry to disappoint you, but this is not mistletoe. This would be ivy." She told him. Brigitta glanced up at it.
"What I am sure I picked mistletoe from the church…" He began.
"Georg you picked this from the gardens of the church?" Maria exclaimed flabbergasted.
"Well I didn't want to spend our hard earned money to go and by some useless plant that would have died anyways, so I decided to pick a branch off. I am sure I didn't hurt anything…" His voice trailed off.
"Yes it is definitely ivy Father." Brigitta told him beginning to laugh. Maria started to laugh hysterically.
"What is so funny?" He asked. This made his wife and children laugh even harder as he tore down the green leafs and crumbled them up in his hands.
"You went through all that trouble to get mistletoe just for one kiss…and…and…" Maria tried to finish but soon tears filled her eyes from laughing so hard.
"And what?" Georg asked her still not finding it amusing she was joking with his attempt to be romantic. "I was trying to be romantic…"
"That was a sad attempt my dear…" Maria started giggling again and the children sobbed with laughter. "You tried so hard and you got a few leafs of ivy to prove it!" She laughed some more and Georg couldn't hide a smile any longer. "Darling if you wanted a kiss you could have asked. I don't need mistletoe to kiss my husband." She told him becoming serious.
Liesl took the shredded leafs of ivy and put the back up on the door way that Maria and Georg still stood under. The older children whispered for a moment amongst them and then went over to their parents.
"Look you are standing under ivy." Louisa said. Georg laughed a little.
"Yeah so what?" He asked her.
"Well in America when you stand under ivy with someone you don't just kiss, but you French kiss. The kiss is also supposed to be deeper as well." Liesl told them. Brigitta nodded eagerly.
"I don't believe them…" Maria began.
"Well even if it isn't true…it sounds good to me!" He told Maria quietly. They stood there for a good five minutes kissing passionately, forgetting about the children. The boys began to giggle and Maria broke away and looked over at them.
"Why didn't we think of this idea the night they danced the laendler together?" Brigitta asked disappointed she never got to play matchmaker.
"You did make this up, didn't you?" Maria asked them. The children smirked.
"Yes and what a lovely new tradition you two made!" Louisa told them. Georg and Maria looked at each other and began to laugh. They glanced up at the ivy still hanging above them and kissed passionately again.